Pakistan beat West Indies in third one-day

Pakistan beat West Indies in third one-day SHARJAH: Pakistan downed West Indies by 136 runs in the third and final one-day international in Abu Dhabi, registering a 3-0 whitewash on Wednesday.

The West Indies batsmen continued to struggle against the Pakistan bowlers during the last of the three match One-Day International series.

In the chase of 309, the Windies openers gave a stable start. However, the visitors’ chase received first dent in the 10th over, when right-arm fast Sohail Khan dismantled Evin Lewis leg-stump with a good-length delivery.

The West Indies wickets continued to fall at the regular intervals as Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Nawaz, and Wahab Riaz bagged one wicket apiece.

The cleansweep followed Pakistan’s 3-0 whitewash in the preceding Twenty20 series.

First Innings

Red-hot Babar Azam hit his third consecutive hundred while skipper Azhar Ali returned to form with a century as Pakistan punished West Indies in the third day-night international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Azam became just the seventh batsman in one-day cricket to smash hundreds in three consecutive matches with a superb 106-ball 117 to lead Pakistan to 308-6 after Ali won the toss and decided to bat on a flat Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.

Azam was finally bowled by Kieron Pollard in the 46th over after hitting eight boundaries and a six in another dominating exhibition of batting.

Ali, who failed in the first two games with a first-ball duck and nine, scored a 109-ball 101 with eight boundaries and a six.

He and fellow opener Sharjeel Khan (38) put Pakistan — leading the three-match series 2-0 — on track for a big total and a whitewash with a solid 85-run start in 14.1 overs as West Indies’ new-ball attack struggled.

Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn provided West Indies with the first breakthrough, in his second over, when Sharjeel holed out at long-on after hitting five boundaries off 41 balls.

Ali and Azam added 147 for the second wicket to frustrate the West Indian bowling before Ali was bowled by Jason Holder in the 39th over.

Sarfraz Ahmed made 24 not out as Pakistan managed 96 runs in the last 15 overs.

Fast-rising star Azam is only the third batsmen from Pakistan and seventh in the world to notch three hundreds in as many matches. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara holds the record with four centuries in as many games.

Pakistan’s Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock, and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor are others to achieve the milestone.

Toss

Earlier, Azhar elected to bat first after winning the toss.

Pakistan, who have an unbeatable 2-0 lead after winning the first two games — were forced to bring in paceman Sohail Khan after Mohammad Amir had to return home to attend his ailing mother.

West Indies made two changes, bringing in opener Evin Lewis and paceman Shannon Gabriel in place of Johnson Charles and Carlos Brathwaite.

Pakistan won the first match by 111 runs and the second by 59 runs — both in Sharjah.